Potential Solution Found for Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus
October 9, 2020 
Just some of the symptoms of the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV).
Photos courtesy of Luria et al., 2017
Enza Zaden, one of the world’s leading vegetable breeders, has found a potential solution for tomato growers to beat the devastating tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The company’s tomato breeding team has identified the gene that provides high resistance to the worldwide rapidly spreading virus.
Sergio de la Fuente van Bentem, Plant Pathology Researcher at Enza Zaden, says the company has been working for years to find a solution.
“Now that we have discovered an answer, we will keep on working hard to develop tomato varieties that are highly ToBRFV resistant,” says van Bentem. “We expect to have these ready in the coming years.”
With this innovation, the introduction of ToBRFV resistance could potentially secure long-term production for the tomato industry.
Since it was first discovered in Israel in 2014, ToBRFV has spread to parts of Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. Its easy spread via mechanical transmission makes it a fast mover.
ToBRFV has an incubation period of two to three weeks before symptoms occur, making it an uphill battle to contain a localized spread once it begins.
With an intermediate resistance level, the virus propagation is delayed but can still enter tomato plants, which will eventually show symptoms.
The tomato plants tested at Enza Zaden research stations did not show any ToBRFV symptoms. Van Bentem says even growers in regions currently free of ToBRFV will likely be paying attention to this innovation as the virus has already spread faster than anticipated.
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